Dumb-waiter car.



F. JOHNSON. puma WAITER CAR. APPLICATION FILED AUGA, 1917.

-Lmmm f7 fa FRANK-JOHNSON, OF- NEW YORKN. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ELEVATORSUPPLIES COMPANY, r

union.

INC., A CORPORATION 0F NEVI'-` JERSEY.

DUMB-WAITER CAR.

tenesse.

Specification of Letters Patent.`

\ Patented dpi'. 22, 1919i Applcationled August 4, 1917. vSerial310.184.375.

T 0 all whom 1f/may concern Be itwknown thatl, FRANKJonssong a enced ingetting the car to stop exactly level Y with the floor, this beingpartly due tothe stretching of the hoisting cables and partly to thevarying load in -the car at different times. -Some of the objects of thepresent invention are to provide'a threshold or bridge which will takeup the inequality between the car and the platform or oor at which the`c-ar is to stop, will be out of the iv'aywvhile the car is in-motionand at the same time -will provide a guard in the car to keep the truckfrom rolling out o-f the car while the Car ris in motion. VAnotherobject of the invention is to providea bridge for use in-conn'ectionwith a moving car and a platform,V which bridge will have its operatlioncontrolled by the mechanism used for the starting andv stopping of theVcar. Other objects of the inventionare to provide practicalV andeflicient means for the purpose intended.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction-and Vcombinations of partsto'be hereinafter described and then clarimedfwith reference to theaccompanying drawings illustrating a suitable embodiment of theinvention and in which- Figure -1 is a vertioalsection of a dumb-1waiter" shaft i and a t car therein equipped with the presentimprovements;

Fiig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on'V adapted to movein saidvshaftr--itbeing provided with any suitable hoisting mechanism suchLasia, operated by a motor 15. Any

suitable electrical Vdevices may be used to operatethe motor- 15, and intheV drawings there arev shown a dynamo 16 connected by wires 17 and 18to a circuit closing device 18L 1n the car. Of course,it is to beunderstood that :any suitable electrical devices may be used such as areused in connection with automatic dumbwaiters,` but the drawingillustrates a1 simple form of the mechanism whichumay `'be used to startand stop the car or dumb-waiter. The wire 17 is connected with the motor15 of theihoisting mechanism."`

A threshold `or bridge 20 is carried by the c'ar 13 at the floor orbottom 19 thereof, said .bridge being located between opposite sides ofthe car and being provided with pivots 2l at its opposite ends whichturn in suitable 'bearing-brackets 22 secured to said'opp'osite sides of'the car. Attached to one of the pivots 21, is a crank 23 which ispivotally connected to a connecting rod or link `2i which extendsupwardly tothe top of the car and is pivotally connected with a lever 25which is pivoited at 26 on a support soV 27 attached to the top of saidcar. It will be seen' that by operating the link 24 the pivoted bridge20 will in turn be operated and such operation is vpreferably accom`plished by the following means. A solenoid 28 is suitably moun-ted ontop of the c'ar 13 in upright position and its armature 29 ispiif'otally attached to the lever 25. The wire 17 passes through thesolenoid 28 so that the moto-r 15 and the solenoid are in the samecircuit. The said solenoid acts upon thelink devices referred to so asto raise the threshold or bridge 20 to the position shown in dottedllines in Fig. 4. In this positionthe bridge -20 Vwill constitute aguard standing upwardly from the floor 19 of the car so `as to prevent atruck on the car from rolling off. Then the car reaches -a floor orpl=atform the solenoid 28 no longer acts and a spring 305 which was putunder tension by the previous energizati'onof said solenoid, is allowedto expand and act to throw the bridge 20` outwardly from the car intoabout the position shown in Fig. 1.

Said spring is coiled around a rod 31 which is pivoted at its upper endto the lever 25 and is guided in a guide bracket 32 attached to the car,said spring resting upon said bracket atone end and atthe other endsuitably connectedwith the upper end of said rod 31. It will be noticedfrom Fig. 4 that the pivots 21 are at one side of the tread surface ofthe bridge so that. when the bridge is in horizontal position its treadsurface will be substantially flush with the floor surface of the car.

The operation is preferably as follows. Assuming that a truck has beenplaced on the car and it is desired to carry it from the licor 11 up tothe floor 12. The switch 18 is closed thereby closingthe motor circuitand operating the motor 15, thus st-arting the car upwardly. Atl thesame time, the solenoid 28 is energized thereby acting through the linkmechanism described so as to move the bridge 2O into the car and placeit in upright position, thereby clearing the dumbwaiter shaft 10. Whenthe car reaches the loor 12, the operator opens the circuit therebystopping the motor and denergizing the solenoid 28, which allows thetension of the spring or power device 30 to act upon the link mechanismand move the bridge 20 outwardly from the car and against the floor 12.When the movement of the car is reversed, the bridge 20 will beauton'iatically raised out of the way of the shaft 10.

It is obvious that the present invention is not limited to 4use inconnection with dumb-waiters as it is capable of more eX- tended use asfor instance in connection with a. railway car. The invention isobviously susceptible of a wide range of modification, without departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof as expressed in the claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. In apparatus such as described, the combination of a car, means foroperating said car, a platform, a movable bridge to provide a passagewaybetween the two, and means independent of said platform for operatingsaid bridge, comprising a combined pull and push rod connected with saidbridge, said bridge operating means being controlled from the means foroperating said car, to move said bridge into and out of using positionrelatively to said car and platform.

2. In apparatus such as described, the combination of an elevator car,means for operating said car, the iioors of a building, a movable bridgeto provide a passageway between said elevator car and any one of saidfloors, means independent of said ioors for operating said bridge,comprising a combined pull and push rod connected with said bridge, saidbridge operating means being controlled from the means for operatingsaid car, to move said bridge into and out of using position relativelyto said car and any one of said floors.

3. In apparatus such as described, the combination of a car, mechanismfor stopping, starting and moving said car, a platform, a movablebridge, and means independent of said platform and controlled by themechanism for stopping, starting and moving said car, for operating saidbridge, to move it automatically to connect said car and platform as thecar comes to a stop thereat and to move it to disconnect said car andplatform as said car begins to move therefrom. i

4f. In apparatus such as described, the combination of a car, mechanismfor stopping, starting and moving said car, a platform, a movable bridgepivotally mounted on said car and means on said car foroperating saidbridge, and depending upon the mechanism for stopping, starting andmoving said car for its operation, to move said bridge automatically toconnect said car and platform as the car comes to a stop thereat and tomove it to disconnect said car and platform as said car begins to movetherefrom.

5. In apparatus such as described, the combination of a car, mechanismfor moving said car, a platform, a movable bridge mounted on said car,link mechanism mounted on said car and connected with said bridge, anddevices controlled by the mechanism for moving said car and arrangedthereon for operating said link mechanism from within said car to movesaid bridge between said car and platform.

6. In apparatus such as described, the combination of a car, a platform,a pivoted bridge, operating means for said bridge comprising a portionmovable with said bridge and a combined pull and push rod connected atone end with said portion to move said bridge to connect or disconnectsaid car and platform, a magnetic device for acting at the other end ofsaid rod on said operating means, when energized, to move said bridge inone direction, and a power device for act-- ing on said operating means,when said magnetic device is denergized, to move said bridge in theopposite direction.

7. In apparatus such as described,the combination of a car, a platform,a pivoted bridge adapted to swing upwardly toward and outwardly fromsaid car and having a rigid extension beyond its pivot, operating meansconnected with the said rigid eXtension of said bridge to move it toconnect or disconnect said car and platform, a magnetic device, meansfor energizing the latter for causing it to act on said oper-ating meansto move said bridge to upstanding position and maintain i-t in thatposition until said car is opposite said platform, and a power devicefor acting' on said operating means, when said magnetic device is denergized by the said energizing means, to move said bridge to loweredconnecting position when the bridge is opposite said platform.

8; In an elevator, the combination of an elevator car, a bridgepivotally mounted on said car and adapted to be swung upwardly towardand outwardly away from said car and having a rigid extension beyond itspivot, means connected with the said rigid extension and adapted to movesaid bridge to connect it with a floor of a building, and anelectro-magnetic device for positively acting on said bridge-movingmeans to swing said bridge into upstanding position relatively to saidfloor, and to hold it in that position as long as desired.

9. In an elevator, the combination of an elevator car, a bridge movablymounted on said car, automatic means carried by said car and free tomove said bridge to connect it with a. floor of a building, means foractuating` said bridge-moving means to move said bridge away from saidfloor, electrically operated means for stopping and starting said car,and an electrical device controlled by said electrically operated means,for con trolling bot-h of said bridge actuating means.

10. In an elevator, the combination of an elevator car, a bridge movablymounted at the bottom of said car, and adapted to be moved to upstandingposition above the floor of said car to provide a guard, magnetic meansfor moving said bridge to that position and to magnetically hold it xedin that position, and means associated with said bridge-moving means tormoving said bridge outwardly from said car and to a floor of a buildingwhen said magnetic hold is released, said two means comprising a levermounted on said car, and a magnet and spring acting on said lever inopposite directions, said lever having a connection with said bridge.

11. In an elevator, the combination of elevator car, a bridge pivotallymounted at the bottom of said car, and adapted to be moved to upstandingposition above the oor of said car to provide a guard, electro-magneticmeans comprising a lever, pivoted in parallelism with the said bridge,for swinging said bridge to that position and for magnetically holdingit in that position, and pressure means associated with said bridgemoving means and bearing on said lever, said pressure means being placedunder tension when said bridge moving means so operates, `for swingingsaid bridge outwardly from said car and to a Hoor of a building whensaid tension is relieved and exerted.

l2. In an elevator, the combination of an elevatorI car, a bridge`pivotally mounted at the bottom of lsaid car and adapted to be moved toupstanding position above the floor oi' said car to provide a guard, anelectromagnetic device, linkage comprising piv'oted members connectingthe movable members of said device with said bridge, for swinging itinto said car, means for energizing said magnetic device and causing itto so operate said bridge and to hold said bridge in that position whilesaid magnet is energized, and power means associated with one of thepivoted members of said linkage and adapted to bc placed under stress assaid de vice is energized, the tension of said power means being adaptedto be exerted on said linkage to swing said bridge away from said carand toward a 'floor of a building as said magnetic device is denergized.

13. The combination with an elevator carv` ot a bridge pivoted at thebottom of said car and having a normal upstanding post tion above saidbottom, whereby it is adapted to constitute a guard, said bridge havinga rigid extension beyond its pivot, and means independent. or" theelevator shaft for the operation of said bridge, and having a connectionwith the said extension `oi said bridge for swinging it from saidposition 'outwardly from said car bottom.

Signed at Hoboken N. J. this 24th day ot' July V1917.

FRANK JonNsoN.

Witnesses:

C. H. HERMAN, W. HOWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patente.

Wauhinmon. E. C."

